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A labeled jar of homemade schmaltz with a wooden spoon beside a bowl of gribenes on a wooden tray.
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Schmaltz and Gribenes

You are done throwing chicken skin in the trash. One skillet gets you a jar of schmaltz for the next three months of potatoes and a bowl of crackly gribenes you'll be salting while they're still hot.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: condiment, Snack
Cuisine: Jewish
Servings: 8 servings (about ½ to ¾ cup schmaltz total)
Calories: 60kcal
Author: Dee Broughton

Equipment

  • Heavy-bottomed skillet or wide saute pan
  • kitchen shears or sharp chef's knife
  • Slotted spoon
  • Paper towels
  • Fine Mesh Strainer
  • cheesecloth
  • Heatproof bowl or glass measuring cup
  • Clean airtight container

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken skins cut into ½-inch pieces
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Trim and Cut the Skins

  • Trim any substantial pieces of chicken meat, then cut the skins into roughly ½-inch pieces. Keeping the pieces similar in size helps the fat render evenly and prevents smaller pieces from burning before larger pieces become crisp.

Start with Water

  • Combine the chicken skins and water in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Spread the skins into an even layer and place the skillet over medium-low heat.
    Raw chicken skins spread in an even layer in a skillet at the start of rendering schmaltz.

Begin the Render

  • Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the skins begin releasing their fat. The water will simmer around the skins and help keep them from browning before enough chicken fat has rendered into the pan.
    Chicken skins shrinking and turning pale golden in the skillet as the first schmaltz pools underneath.

Render Low and Slow

  • Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring and separating the pieces occasionally. The skins will gradually shrink, curl, and change from pale to light golden as their fat renders. Keep the heat controlled so the fat has time to melt out before the skin becomes deeply browned.
    Chicken skins curling and browning in a skillet of rendered schmaltz, halfway to crispy gribenes.

Crisp the Gribenes

  • Reduce the heat slightly once the skins are golden and the bubbling has noticeably slowed. Cook for another 8 to 12 minutes, stirring more frequently, until the pieces are evenly golden brown, crisp, and no longer look thick or fatty. Remove the skillet from the heat before the skins become dark brown.
    Golden brown gribenes frying in a pool of rendered chicken fat in the skillet, nearly ready to pull.

Drain

  • Transfer the gribenes with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Spread them into a single layer so excess fat can drain rather than pooling around the skin.
    Crispy chicken skin gribenes draining on paper towels after coming out of the hot schmaltz.

Season and Cool

  • Season the hot gribenes with the kosher salt and toss gently to distribute it evenly. Let them cool uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes. They will become firmer and crisper as residual steam escapes.

Strain the Schmaltz

  • Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and position it over a heatproof bowl or glass measuring cup. Carefully pour the warm schmaltz through the lined strainer to remove small pieces of chicken and browned sediment.
    A fine mesh strainer set over a glass measuring cup of strained schmaltz, with one browned bit caught in the mesh.

Store the Schmaltz

  • Cool the strained schmaltz slightly before transferring it to a clean container. Leave the schmaltz unsalted so it can be seasoned appropriately for whatever recipe it is used in.
    A glass jar of yellow schmaltz with a wooden spoon and a label reading “SCHMALTZ.”

Serve

  • Serve the gribenes warm or at room temperature as a snack, garnish, or crunchy topping. Use the schmaltz for potatoes, matzo balls, chopped liver, rice, or sauteed vegetables.
    A bowl of salted gribenes with a dish of coarse salt, fresh parsley and a jar of schmaltz on the table.

Notes

  • Use chicken skins from breasts, thighs, or whole chickens. Skins with more visible fat attached will naturally produce more schmaltz.
  • For larger gribenes, cut the skins into ¾-inch pieces, increase the rendering time slightly, and watch carefully during the final browning stage.
  • Store cooled schmaltz in a clean airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months, or freeze for up to one year. Portion before freezing.
  • Store completely cooled gribenes separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Do not squeeze or press the cheesecloth after straining; it forces sediment back into the fat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 60kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.04g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 85mg | Vitamin A: 17IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg